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So Much Food. So Little Time.

Farm to Table, part 2

After a delightful few hours visiting two farms and the local fish market, see Farm to Table, part 1, we returned to the hotel and went directly to the main kitchen. It was spotless, by the way.

Leslie, my new British friend and I proceeded to prepare and chop the ingredients for the Pineapple Gazpacho, which is pictured in the featured photo. I will try to re-create this dish in the Spring because it was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten!!!

I don’t love photos of myself, like most people, and in this shot I am absolutely giddy with excitement. But here I am in the prep kitchen making the gazpacho. My new favorite hot sauce is below my left hand. In my right hand is cherry vinegar.

We’ve now moved into the main kitchen. The larger fish is the Kingfish, the smaller a tuna:

The chef asked us if we wanted sashimi. Hah! We practically saw the tuna come out of the water! It doesn’t get much better than this.

Yes, please! This was my serving.

Then the chef prepared the accompaniment for the Kingfish. It was mostly potatoes, tomatoes, olives, lemongrass, capers, grated ginger, and thyme, but it also included chopped green beans. Since it was more of a side dish than a topping, it worked really well. (I was a little skeptical about the green beans!)

So we started with the fabulous pineapple gazpacho, which you can’t tell is filled with chopped shrimp, cucumber, and tomatoes. Then we had a beautifully dressed salad of microgreens that we’d picked ourselves.

Then the main Kingfish course.

And white wine, which paired beautifully.

And then I discovered why we’d been picking star fruit and bananas! We were all surprised with this incredible dessert: Sautéed plantains accompanied with banana ice cream, and fresh star fruit! Absolutely delightful!

Our farm to table experience was so much more than I’d hoped for. It was about food, the land, culture, and community. It is a day in my life I wish always cherish. Cheers, chef!